Libyan Phalangites
Class: spearmen · Category: infantry · Men per unit: 60
Reforms: Unlocked by Military innovations have arrived!, Kyrenean Reforms
Description
It is well known that Ptolemy IV recruited Egyptians into his phalanx to increase his manpower at the outbreak of the Fourth Syrian War. Less known is the Libyan contingent at the Battle of Raphia, which we only know about from Polybios (V, 65, 8): "They also armed in the Macedonian fashion three thousand Libyans under the command of Ammonios of Barke." Where these Libyans where from remains anyone's guess. Barke (today's Marj or el Merdj) was a Kyrenean sub colony on the Mediterranean seaboard of Libya, but Ammonios' men must not have necessarily come from that region. Polybios seems to imply that they had to be trained to fight in the Macedonian style, and it thus seems more likely to think of a non-Greek origin, most likely from the Marmaridae, who lived between the western border of Egypt and Cyrenaica. In any case the Libyans formed part of the Ptolemaic phalanx which defeated their Seleucid opponents in the centre of the Battle of Raphia in 217 BC and must thus be seen as a valuable addition.
Stats
| Rank in roster | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men per unit | 60 | █████████· 87% |
| Attack | 19 | █████████· 92% |
| Charge bonus | 1 | █········· 4% |
| Defence | 24 | ███······· 26% |
| · armour | 10 | █████····· 54% |
| · defence skill | 11 | █········· 6% |
| · shield | 3 | ████······ 37% |
| Morale | 10 | ███······· 29% |
| Discipline | Normal | |
| Training | Highly trained | |
| Recruitment cost | 1,843 dn | ████······ 41% |
| Upkeep per turn | 675 dn | ██████···· 61% |
| Turns to recruit | 3 |
Weapons
| Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack | 19 | 4 | Charge bonus | 1 | 1 | Type | melee · blade | melee · simple | Damage | piercing | piercing |
| Properties | Long spear (bonus against cavalry, penalty against infantry) · +8 attack against cavalry · very long pike (phalanx) | — |
Defence
| Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 24 | — | Armour | 10 | — | Defence skill | 11 | — | Shield | 3 | — |
Condition and terrain
| Hit points | 1 | Ground: scrub / sand / forest / snow | -5 / -1 / -8 / -1 | Charge distance | 0 | Formations | Square · Phalanx |
Technical stats
| Time between blows (primary / secondary) | 2.5 s / 2.5 s | Extra fatigue in hot climates | -1 | Collision mass per man (1.0 is normal) | 1.05 | Spacing between men: close / loose | 1 × 1 m / 2 × 2.4 m |
| Default ranks | 5 |
In battle: Can sap · Good stamina
Who can recruit it
A core roster unit for one faction, which can raise it anywhere it holds the right building:
A further 9 factions can raise it in the provinces below.
Exactly what a settlement must have, route by route (8)
Areas of recruitment
| Zone | Provinces | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libyan | 48 |